THE DUCK DECOYS OF ESSEX. 201
presence of the decoyman to frighten them into the fatal trap.
The tame birds do not rise, but taking no notice either of the
decoyman or the sudden disappearance of their companions,
swim leisurely back to the remainder in the pond. The captured
birds are too frightened to make a noise, and the other wild-fowl,
seeing none return, swim and play about as before. The whole
operation, from the time the decoyman signals his tame ducks
till he gives the detaching twist to the tunnel net, hardly occupies
three minutes. Finally, he takes the birds out of the net and
in a skilful and expeditious manner puts them to death by
dislocating their necks.
Hitherto the dog has taken no share in the proceedings, but
has sat quietly watching his master, understanding every move-
ment and well satisfied to wait till his services are required.
The decoyman, replacing the tunnel net, now returns to the
pipe, and knowing that he has caught all the birds which for
the present are likely to be tempted by food, gives a signal to
his dog, throwing at the same time a small piece of bread and
cheese at the foot of the opening between the screens nearest
the pond. The dog picks it up in his mouth and jumping over
the screen suddenly displays himself to the astonished wild-fowl,
who give a flutter of surprise, but are not sufficiently alarmed to
attempt to fly away. While they are speculating what intruder
has had the boldness to invade their retreat, he disappears at
the next opening, but in another second is seen a few yards
higher up the pipe. The ducks advance towards the dog, which
disappears and the birds stop, but he reappears higher up the
pipe and the ducks follow more confidently, but at last he
disappears for good, and then the decoyman appears between
the birds and the pond and they are soon secured in the tunnel-net.
Should the dog make a mistake and appear behind the birds
in the pipe they will at once become alarmed and swim back
into the pond.
The number caught at each attempt varies according to the
numbers in the pond and the state of the birds, the young being
more easily enticed into the pipe. In good seasons from one
to two hundred may be caught in a day, while on other days few
are taken. The number in each drive is usually from ten to
fifty, but occasionally much larger than the latter figure. After
making catches in a pipe by both feeding and the dog, the
decoyman has to leave the remainder alone till later in the day,
when birds are again near the mouth of the pipe. There is
usually only one pipe at which they can be caught by feeding,
but the dog may often be successful at another, perhaps two
others, if the wind lies between them. On some days the birds
are much more sluggish than others, and will take little notice